The Best Two Budget Golf Rangefinders
In a moment, I'll reveal the best two cheap golf rangefinders (both exceptional value) but first I want to tell you a story about how my golfing buddy Jim introduced me to the whole rangefinder concept.
Is My Mate Jim a Cheat?
That's the question I was asking myself after he beat me by 5 strokes, even though we had the same handicap and I'd beaten him comfortably in 8 of the last 10 rounds we'd played together.
Jim and I were golfing buddies of many years and had that friendly rivalry that usually develops from that.
We often had a bet to make a round that little bit more interesting.
But never money. We'd seen too many friendships ruined that way.
It would be something more like who bought the first round at the 19th or whose turn it was to host a barbecue at home for our two families.
Nice, friendly stuff (but I usually had the better of it).
Until he walloped me by 5 strokes.
And it would have been more if I hadn't sunk two 15 foot birdie putts on the back nine!
So What Was Different?
More...
Well, that was fairly obvious.
Before we teed off, Jim pulled out something that looked like a pair of binoculars, but with the two lenses on top of each other instead of side by side.
As he aimed it down the fairway, I said "What the heck is that?" (or something similar).
"It's called a rangefinder," he replied.
"What does it do?"
Jim was a bit vague. "It sorta measures distance and stuff."
That didn't seem like any sort of big deal to me. After all, the distance from the tee to the pin was clearly signposted, so we already knew the distance.
But Jim continued to use it after every shot, even when we were close to the pin.
And there was no doubt that both his long and short games were better.
Not dramatically so. Not enough to actually accuse him of cheating. But each shot was just enough better than his usual to have an accumulative effect.
So that in the end, he beat me by a very comfortable 5 strokes.
Back at the 19th
By this time, I was naturally very curious about Jim's new toy.
There had to be more to it than "it sorta measures distance".
Turned out this was my first introduction to rangefinders and I've been in love ever since.
"I didn't want to say too much about it at first," said Jim. "I felt a bit silly using it and had no idea if it would actually help my game."
Jim proceeded to explain how his rangefinder worked. He'd used it on the range to calibrate what his best club choice was for a given distance range and then by knowing the exact distance from where his ball lay to his next target (which could be the pin or a dogleg in the course or just not in the lake) was able to choose both the optimal club and how hard to swing.
And as I had found out to my cost, all those little individual improvements had added up to one massive overall improvement in Jim's game.
Fast Forward to the Present Day
Since then, golf rangefinders have evolved from a novelty to an essential piece of kit for every serious golfer.
And, as usual for any technology, quality and features have improved while at the same time price has come down.
Aside from clearer, sharper optics two of the most significant upgrades have been slope measurement so that you can take slope into account when deciding what club and swing speed you need to cover the distance and jolt technology which tells you precisely when your rangefinder has locked onto the pin.
And while you can still pay upwards of $500 for a top of the line Bushnell, there are quality golf rangefinders that you can get for around the $100 mark.
I'm going to cover the two that I believe represent the absolute best value cheap golf rangefinders that you can get today.
I can recommend both of them, so I suggest you read the reviews (many of them 5-star) check out what they look like and buy the one that appeals to you personally.
Not just budget, but literally cheap, the Gogogo Sport Vpro Laser Rangefinder is my number 1 pick for the cheapest quality golf rangefinder that you can get. It's available from Amazon so you know that your purchase is protected and that there'll be no problems with delivery.
Here's an extract from one buyer's review:
"For the price and function, you cannot beat it. Slope function works great, target accuracy is spot on, and the fact that it runs on AAA's is just a bonus (CR2's are pricey for a battery, but AAAs are cheap as dirt). Magnification is more than sufficient and very clear."
And one more:
"For golf use, 100% would purchase it again or as a gift for someone. Construction is solid and the vibration feature is great. I can use it easy enough with sunglasses, and the focus is easy to adjust with the rotating ring around the viewport."
P.S. As of right now (at the time of writing) it's available from Amazon on a Prime Day deal at an unbelievable reduced price. Check out now by clicking on the heading or image.
TecTecTec VPRO500 Golf Rangefinder
The TecTecTec VPRO500 Golf Rangefinder is a little more expensive than the Gogogo Sport Vpro but has the recommendation of being Amazon's best selling golf rangefinder, so you know that it has gained widespread satisfaction. TecTecTec is a highly ethical company that stands behind its products 100%.
Here's an extract from one buyer's review:
"I play golf 2-3 times per week and the performance of this rangefinder was comparable or superior to other, more expensive devices."
And another:
"Just received my rangefinder from tech tech tech. I love the compactness of it and the fact that it fits in the palm of my hand. I also purchased a red silicone cover from them as well as to protect it from getting scratched up. I used it for the first time on Sunday at a course with lots of obstructions, hills, and long par 4 and 5’s. I was able to zero in from 540 yards and compared the yardage/distance accuracy side by sids vs my Golf Logix gps iphone app. and It was spot on. The pinseeker mode was also very accurate and quite impressive."
Conclusion
If you want to improve your game by getting an unfair advantage with the insights that a quality rangefinder can give you, but without breaking the bank, I can totally endorse either of these as the 2 best cheap golf rangefinders.
You might also like The Best 3 Golf Rangefinders.